The Boondock Saints: All Saints Day
Starring: Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly.
Directed by: Troy Duffy.
Rating: R for bloody violence, language and some nudity.
Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes.
Sequels are difficult beasts to tackle. Not only do you have to maintain the feel of the original which drew in the fans to begin with, but you’re also obligated to make it even better.
This, as most of us know, is rarely (if ever) accomplished.
In the case of “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day,” a sequel that has been heavily anticipated for 10 long years, director Troy Duffy had a lot to live up to.
For those unfamiliar, “The Boondock Saints” was a limited-release film focusing on the Irish MacManus brothers (Connor and Murphy) as they follow their religious calling to kill murderers, rapists and general scum of Boston. It made a mere $30,000 in American theaters, but, once released on video, “The Boondock Saints” erupted into a cult classic, making $50 million in home sales. The film’s excellent balance of comedic and serious tones matched with a quotable script and superb casting (Willem Dafoe, anyone?) made “The Boondock Saints” a fast favorite for many viewers.
When director Troy Duffy and actors Norman Reedus (Murphy MacManus) and David Della Rocco (who plays a beloved character of the same name) came to my college in the spring of 2005, there was a lot of talk about a sequel. It seemed that the script was mostly ironed out, but rumor had it that Duffy was a difficult director to work with from the production company’s side.
Whispers of a sequel continued for several more years until, at last, IMDB confirmed what many fans had been waiting for.
The film followed the original in terms of limited release, but thanks to the underground following, “All Saints Day” has swiftly expanded through the country (it’s even opening in Geneva tomorrow).
“The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” picks up about eight years after the first movie’s ending. Connor and Murphy are living with their father (Il Duce, a fellow “killer angel”) when word comes of the murder of their Boston priest. Seeking vengeance, the brothers head back to America and are joined by newcomers Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr.) and Secret Agent Eunice Bloom (Julie Benz) as well as viewers’ favorite cops of Boston — Dolly, Duffy and Greenly.
“All Saints Day” will keep you entertained with plenty of shootouts and slapstick humor. But for those hoping for a film that can rival the original, this is not it.
You might think that having nearly a decade to work on a script could only benefit a sequel. But somewhere along the way, Troy Duffy seemed to forget all the things that made “The Boondock Saints” so engaging for its fans.
The vital target “All Saints Day” didn’t even seem to bother shooting at was viewer investment. “Boondock Saints” made you care about the brothers and their “mission.” Luckily, that attachment softly lingers on in the sequel — but Duffy forgot to reinforce it.
Too, the vigilante spirit, religious tone and general Irishness that the original is so steeped in seemed to have gotten spilled over in an attempt to, perhaps, attract a wider audience. Duffy would have been better off appealing to the already substantial fanbase rather than spreading himself too thin.
Duffy’s attempt to replace two of the original movie’s anchors (David Della Rocco and Agent Paul Smecker) with two far less engaging characters (Romeo and Secret Agent Eunice Bloom) was not appreciated.
Despite its shortcomings, “All Saints Day” is an above-average action film that tosses in a few priceless gems to the original’s fans that will keep them salivating.
In short, watch and love the original. Watch the sequel just for fun.
3 of 5 stars
I must agree. You would think that with all that time to create the perfect sequel it would have been a little better.
ReplyDeleteI would have liked to see the Mcmanus brothers choose their own targets without the help of some random Mexican.
Another point is that the police officers are suppose to be happy the scum is being 'handled' but at the same time trying to catch the killers instead they are helping them.
I think that this movie is a failure among true Boondock Saints fans.